Taking Chances
by GirlBoo
Summary: Starr Manning rose to fame and stardom by doing what she loved: making music. James Ford made something of himself doing what he was best at being a mechanic. Ten years after their breakup, they reunite right where it all started that summer of 2010. Read to see what happens next as they head on a journey they never saw coming.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: I own nothing. Enjoy!

"The truth is you don't know what is going to happen tomorrow. Life is a crazy ride, and nothing is guaranteed."-Eminem

Chapter One: We Meet Again

James Ford tightened the strap to his duffle bag on his shoulder as he navigated his way through the Llainview Airport. James could not believe he had even decided to venture down this road again. It had been nearly over a decade since he last stepped foot in the small town of Llainview, Pennsylvania as a young boy who was running from a troubled past and looking for a better life. He remembered the day as if we're yesterday.

"James! James!" James turned to his left at the sound of a familiar female voice. He smiled as he walked in the direction of Jessica Buchanan. She raised on her tippy toes placing her arms around his neck pulling him into a hug. "We better getting going. The graduation ceremony will be started soon." Jessica said as she pulled away from him. James nodded in agreement before following behind her exiting the airport in silence. "I can't believe Ryder's going to middle school next year. It seemed like just yesterday he was a baby and now he's graduating from the 5th grade." Jessica remarks breaking the silence when they were in her SUV driving to the elementary school.

"Yeah time has really flown by," James replied looking towards the blonde. Jessica had changed a lot since their first encounter during her days as Tess. After Bobby's death, she moved to London to live with some family so she could get her life together and be a mother to her kids. That time away from Llainview payed off and she returned a couple years ago to be with her parents again. Despite things changing, Jessica still made sure Ryder developed a relationship with his uncles and grandma which James was very happy about. "Thanks for including us in on this day. I just wished Nate and mom could've came too. I know Ryder doesn't get to see us often." He suggested as the vehicle came to a halt in the parking lot.

"You don't have to thank me," Jessica suggested as they stepped out of the car. "You're family and you have every right to be with Ryder on his special day." She said as they walked into the school. The blonde waved at a fellow parent before taking her seat next to Kelly Cramer-Buchanan. James took the seat next to Jessica at the very end of the row. The two women chatted for a while before the ceremony. "James, when they call his name I want you to jump up and cheer with me. Ryder knows where I'm sitting so he'll be looking for me but he didn't think you were coming. He'll be so surprised and happy to see you." Jessica explained in whisper leaning towards James. She leaned away from him as the ceremony started.

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Starr Manning slid her sunglasses off as she snuck into the graduation ceremony at Llainview High School taking a seat next to her sister Danielle. Today Sam was graduating from high school and he would be giving the valedictorian speech. The other members of her family that were occupying the rest of the row looked in her direction before turning back toward Sam who had just started his speech. After Sam finished his speech, the rest of the ceremony went through quickly. When they called his name, the entire family got to their feet clamping and soon afterwards it was over.

"So why were you late coming to the ceremony," Dani asked Starr with a wine glass in her hand as she walked towards her sister in the living room at LaBoulaie. The rest of their family was engulfed in various conversations with other relatives. They were having a graduation party for Sam. This was Starr's aunt Dorian's idea.

"The jet had to take off later than expected," Starr answered wiggling her wine glass between her hands. Dani sipped her glass of wine looking confused at her sister. "I had to meet Darren at the studio before I left LA. He wanted to talk about studio times to work on the new album." She suggested walking away from Dani towards the door. "I leave tomorrow." Starr finished sitting down on the step.

"Why am I not surprised?" Dani replied following her sister stopping to sit next to her on the staircase. "You haven't been home in years Starr and you just got done with tour. Of course we shouldn't expect you to stay long enough to have a proper visit with your family," Dani suggested pausing to pull her plum purple dress down before standing up. "Call me crazy but it seems like you use your career as an excuse to not come home because you don't know how to tell us that you don't want to be here." Dani added walking away from Starr towards the kitchen.

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Jessica was right. Ryder was so surprised and happy to see James that after the ceremony was over, he ran into his uncle's arms. The boy talked to James the entire way to Llainfair about sports, cars, and his upcoming voyage to summer camp with his cousins Drew and Liam. They sat in the back seat while Jessica was coaching teenage Bree who was driving the car. She hit a couple of bumps, but overall the girl did pretty good. After lunch at Llainfair, James took Ryder to the park to grab some ice cream. The two were now finishing up their ice cream cones and decided to play some football.

"Okay Ry," James yelled running away from Ryder. He stopped a few feet away. "You throw and I'll go long. Okay buddy." He said patting his knees. Ryder nodded before throwing the football in his uncle's direction. James ran back arms open to catch the ball. As James jumped to grab the ball, he bumped into a woman in sunglasses knocking her to the ground. "I'm sorry about that miss. My nephew and I were playing catch. Here let me help you up," James said reaching his hand out to the women with blonde hair and dark brown tips at the end. Starr took his hand in hesitation. It might've been years but she recognized that voice anywhere.

"Its okay James. Accidents happen," Starr replied brushing the grass off her navy blue dress and then pulled her sunglasses off. His facial expression shifted slightly as he realized who he had knocked down. "We should talk." Starr blurted out walking towards a nearby picnic table with a tree next to it. James took a seat on top of the table. "So tell me. What have you been up to these last few years?" She asked folding her arms on the table titling her slightly examining him. James hadn't changed much. His hair was longer hanging slightly below his eyebrows and he had grown a beard.

"Traveling," James answered rolling up the sleeves of his dark grey button down. "Mom, Nate, and I moved to New York after Bobby's funeral. Nate got into this great acting school and I decided to be a legal mechanic this time." James suggested grinning. Starr laughed at his use of sarcasm. "After getting my degree, I've been doing some overseas work in Afghanistan, Kuwait, Iraq, and Australia as a maintenance mechanic. I'm in town for Ryder's graduation." He added looking into the distance at Ryder who was nearby tossing the football with some friend from school. "What about you? How's life as a big time artist Twinkle?" James asked with a smile on his face turning his torso towards Starr to look at her. Against her better judgement, she made eye contact with him.

"Busy and lonely," Starr answered rather quickly looking away from him. "I really should be going now." She said getting up from the table. James did the same. "It was great being back in this spot talking without you being on the run and my allergies acting up." Starr added looking up at him. James laughed at her reference to the first time they met. She leaned forward joining him in a laughing fit. "Goodbye James," She said when their laughter faded touching his shoulder. Starr wanted to hug him but thought this gesture was more appropriate.

"Take care Twinkle," James whispered as she turned slowly to walk away. Starr Manning was once again out of his life.


	2. Chapter 2

"Love does not begin and end the way we seem to think. Love is a battle, love is a war; love is growing up."-James A. Baldwin

Chapter Two: Dinner is Served

Starr gazed out the window at the palm trees that lined the streets of the place that has been her home for eight years. Her white sunglasses were pushed up above her forehead as she jotted down lyrics to a new

song she had been working on in the notebook given to her from Langston on her 25th birthday. She met with Darren Price earlier that morning to plan out the details of her third album. The two joined forces for Starr's last album and it was a musical match made in heaven.

After the hard time she had with the first one, it felt good to be under the management of someone who understood the concept of her music and promoted it for what it truly is. The driver came to open Starr's door when the white suburban stopped at the front of the mansion. Starr smiled as she took the few steps up to the door that led inside her home. It felt good to be back.

"Look who's finally home after a year long tour," Langston Wilde said walking down one of the black staircase in a white button down and black pencil skirt towards her best friend. "I've missed you so much." She said wrapping her arms around Starr into a long overdo hug. "So notice anything different?" Langston asked when they pulled away from the hug. Starr stepped back to analyze her friend.

"You got a haircut?" Starr answered looking at her friend's short brown locks. "It looks good Lang." She said smiling at Langston before walking towards the living room. "When you told me you were thinking about cutting your hair like Emma Watson. I freaked out in my dress room, but I have to admit it turned out better than I thought."

"Speaking of hairstyles," Langston said taking a seat in the opposite end of the black chair with Starr. "Growing your hair out and adding a dark brown undertone was one of the most brilliant ideas I've ever had." She suggested curling her feet underneath her. The women burst out in laughter at her comment. "How was Sam's valedictorian speech?" The brunette asked when the laughter died down.

"Uh it was great," Starr answered staring straight ahead preoccupied in thoughts about her encounter with James. Langston angled her head in front of Starr to break off her eye contact with the wall. "It seems like just yesterday he was Spidey Sam. I've missed most of his birthdays and Jack's and Dani's. At least Sam opens my presents and writes back. They could care less," Starr suggested smiling to hide her sadness. "I'm going to go spend some alone time with my babies. I know they missed me." Starr said leaving the room to be with her pet snakes.

"I'm so glad you made it bro," Nate Salinger said hugging James after he stepped into his hotel room. "I know you just got home from Australia and had to go straight to Llainview. I emailed Rye to send my regards for not making it to his graduation." Nate suggested when they pulled away. "I told him with the movie kicking off that I can't visit but we can video chat." He added taking a beer from the fridge across the room. Nate walked over to where James was now sitting and handed him a soda since he didn't drink. "Hey man you won't believe who's directing my new movie." Nate said taking a sip of his beer. James shrugged his shoulder while raising his hands. "Markko Rivera and Langston wrote it. Small world aye?" Nate suggested laughing before taking another sip of beer. James didn't say anything. Instead he smiled and looked down at his drink. "There's a couple loose ends to tie up but it's pretty much a done deal. Did anything exciting happen in Llainview?" Nate asked looking at his brother.

"By exciting do you mean if anybody got kidnapped or committed a crime than no. Nothing really happened in Llainview," James answered placing his soda can on the table. "Except I did run into Starr while Ryder and I were playing catch in the park." He added looking towards his brother.

"Wow! I didn't even know she was back in the states," Nate said sitting back still lost for words. "Wasn't she in Beijing just a couple of weeks ago?" He blurted out looking at his brother. James shrugged at him in response. "Wait. You said you ran into her in the park, rights," Nate asked placing his beer on the table. James nodded. "Isn't that were you guys first met in the park. She was crying. You gave her a tissue"-

"I was there, Nate. You can spare me the details of something I actually lived through," James replied walking out of room in the kitchen to place his can on the counter. "Besides I haven't seen you in over a year and now you're leaving town for eight months. I don't want to spend the last day I get hang out with you talking about some girl." James suggests placing his hands on the counter.

"Some girl?" Nate yelled raising from his seat looking at James in a confused way. "Starr Manning is not just some girl. At least not to the billions of people who listen to her music and watch her perform and certainty not to you." Nate exclaimed placing his beer on the counter. "I get that your brake up was hard but what's with you, James? You put everything on the line for her time and time again. You even pondered over her years later. I would think you'd be happy to see Starr again." Nate suggested walking towards the couch to sit down.

"For the record I have not spent the last nine years pondering over Starr. You know I've dated since then. I've moved on,"James retorted back leaning his hands against the counter. "And I never said I wasn't happy to see Starr. I just wasn't happy with how she looked and what she told me." James suggested. Nate looked at him confused. "Starr told me she was lonely Nate not just with words but with her eyes. At first, she tried to hide it from me but I saw straight through it. Her eyes didn't have that twinkle that only Starr has. They we empty, cold, and sad. That's not her Nate."

"Maybe it is, James. You said it yourself it's been nine years maybe she's not the same Starr," Nate stopped talking to pull his buzzing phone out his pocket. He glanced at it a few seconds before turning to James. "We gotta go man. Markko needs to talk with me. I hope you're hungry bro," Nate said throwing the keys in his pocket to James before walking towards the door.

Langston retreated to her home office on the western wing of the house to do some writing after her talk with Starr. She needed to do something to distract her roaming mind while she waited in anticipation for a deal to go through. Langston had just sent her script to a producer who was considering picking it up. Now she had to do the hard part wait for a response.

On the eastern wing of the mansion, Starr sat in her private sitting room still at work perfecting the song she had been writing earlier. Her snake wrapped securely around her neck as she wrote.

"Hey get dressed. We're celebrating," the brunette told Starr bursting into the room in a sleeveless navy blue chevron jumpsuit with turquoise pumps and a necklace.

James handed the bottle of wine across the table to his brother who is sitting next to Britney Jennings, the owner of JMP, Jennings Media Productions. Markko Rivera sat at the head of the table sporting his usual facial hair and sideburns. He wore his usual black suit and dress shirt but topped it off with a plum purple tie that matched Britney's peplum sleeveless dress that stopped above her knees.

James in just a white button down, gray t-shirt, dark jeans, and sneakers felt underdressed. Nate put a black blazer on with his white v-neck, and jeans. Britney broke out in laughter after Nate's previous attempt of flirting with her failed greatly.

"Okay now we've met and I can tell you like me. A LOT. Did I mention you are extremely hot by the way," Nate suggests turning to Britney who was still laughing. "And I make you laugh. I'm sure that's a bonus." He added smiling. "You, me, and Markko equals a badass team and a kickass blockbuster hit. There's no doubt about that so enough with the small talk and making fun of my sorry pickup lines. Let's sign the papers and celebrate." Nate said looking from Britney to Markko. Before Markko or Britney could respond, a familiar voice is heard.

"Well I can imagine it was ama-" Langston pauses in mid sentence stopping in front of the table surprised with Starr behind her texting.

"What's wrong Lang? Why did you stop?" Starr's eyes followed immediately to Britney Jennings who was sitting on Markko's right while he sat at the head of the table. James takes in her appearance. She's wearing a sleeveless denim button down tied in the front with a white lace maxi skirt that has splits on the sides. Her hair cascaded around her face in waves. "James," Starr says barely over a whisper taking her sunglasses off to look in his direction.

"Starr." James said while grinning.

"Britney." Langston yelled clearly in shock.

"Markko." Britney said turning to Markko confused.

"Langston." Markko replied in surprise.

"Nate," everybody turns their head towards Nate. "What? Nobody said my name and I didn't want to feel left out here. Nate suggests shrugging.


End file.
